Wintering nucs

[Occam]

So I did a trap out earlier this year,  just picked it up a couple weeks ago in fact.  Decent little colony it seems. The gentleman called me up around noon and said he had a swarm flying around so I told him I'd stop by. It's a very small swarm, few hundred bees at best, and I realize the odds are against them. Question I'm wondering is if I give them a frame of larvae and eggs and feed in a3 frame nuc or combine them. I'm leaning towards the 3 frame, it might work it might not.

Any thoughts, insights, experiences anyone is willing to share would be appreciated.

[BeeMaster2]

Occam,
If you don?t mind feeding them for the next three months and really need another hive, go ahead and make up a three frame hive with empty frames for them to grow. You can learn a lot doing it.
Jim Altmiller

[The15thMember]

I've never wintered nucs, so no advice to offer there, but I do just want to mention that if you do decide to combine them, be sure to check their mite load beforehand and make sure they are healthy.  A small swarm this late could be an abscond, and you wouldn't want to inject a healthy hive with a bunch of sick, parasite-ridden bees right before winter. 

[Occam]

Right on, thanks!

[beesnweeds]

It's a very small swarm, few hundred bees at best, and I realize the odds are against them.

Unfortunately a few hundred bees of varying ages will not be able to care for a frame of eggs and brood.  Doing a mite test which requires 300 bees would pretty much finish them.

[Ben Framed]

It's a very small swarm, few hundred bees at best, and I realize the odds are against them.

Unfortunately a few hundred bees of varying ages will not be able to care for a frame of eggs and brood.  Doing a mite test which requires 300 bees would pretty much finish them.

Occam do you have a frame of mixed larva, honey, and pollen to give to them for an boosting asset, along with the nurse bees which are on it?

[Michael Bush]

https://bushfarms.com/beesnucs.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMfIW8PzGoo
https://bushfarms.com/WinteringNucs.ppt

[Bob Wilson]

you said a swarm? Which should have a queen and need nothing more than a nectar and pollen frame, or perhaps a frame of capped brood, easy for them to care for and good for beefing up the population, then giving her some laying room.
Or is it a trap out with no queen, because she never came out? That's very different.

I don't know about Oklahoma, but five frame nucs overwinter fine in middle Georgia.

[Occam]

Geez, makes me realize how longbi was offline. Life has a way of keeping you busy.  Anyhow...yes Bob, there was a queen. I put themnin my nuc box with some sugar syrup. Noticed bees flying in and out for about a week then everything went still. Opened the nuc and there were a few bees wandering but they had the "guilty robber" type actions, not "hey you're intruding activity. Sadly I think they must have taken off petty much right away since there was no sign of having tried to lay, build comb, or add resources and I think done bees from another hive or boxes robbed or the feeder